Thinking of THAT already?

I know it's only July 30, but I'm already getting nervous excited about school.

I can't help it. I'm a homeschool geek!

I love buying new curricula. I adore planning. Research? Brainstorming? I'm there. There is something so attractive and delightful in crafting a plan of study that caters to my kids' strengths and weaknesses. Or maybe I just love the planning part, in itself. The actual doing of school? Not so much. The visionary part is always way more fun than the implementation part.

This year I'll be larnin' my little one for the first time. ABC's and 1,2,3's and all that. My nervousness comes from needing ARG to be way more independent in his studies (something he has not excelled in to date). Plus, my time, energy and attention will be split three ways.

Can you say, "Calgon! Take me away!"?

But I have high hopes that ARG will indeed be able (oh please! oh please!) to launch himself more into self-teaching. The real question is, will I be able to leave him the heck alone? Oh, is it hard. When I see any "slacking" I burst forth with,

"Have you done your math yet?"
"What about Spanish?"
"When are you going to do your science?"

Blech! Right? I mean, what self-respecting man/boy wants him mom all over him like that? And why would I want to continue micro-managing his education? I mean, the boy has got to step up to the plate at some point.

Also on my list of great expectations is Mini-Me loving to learn. So far I'm using the old "It's a game" trick for learning. We play: concentration with letters, counting games, finger writing in rice. So far, so good. If I can keep up my enthusiasm, energy and focus, we should be OK.

And let me tell you, playing learning games and doing creative projects with kids is WAY, WAY, WAY harder than "teaching" them something, then handing them a worksheet and saying, "Go do this." But it's better. They learn more and they enjoy it (probably because they don't feel like they are performing, or being tested).

Mini-Me is at the sponge stage right now. She's like a baby bird with its mouth open. My job is to regurgitate half digested worms provide lots of stimuation, information and experiences to help her grow.

Then there's Rosie. She's at the tricky age of being able to write pretty well (nice handwriting, atrocious spelling), but not quite ready to write essays (well). I think paragraphs will be our short-term goal. She's a math wiz, so that's no prob. But she needs lots of time to read, read, read this year. Charlotte's Web! The Cricket in Times Square! Warmsquishyheartsigh....I can't wait to dig into her new language program Beyond Five in a Row. Yay!

Then there's Physical Science at Home (and I get the answer sheet!), and Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings for ARG (who lo-o-o-o-o-O-ves LOTR).

Plus neat archeology digging projects to compliment our history studies. Mesopotamia here we come! Woo hoo! Ancient Greece! and Rome! Oooooh. Yeah baby!

-AHEM-

So, yeah.

Thanks for joining me on my little mid-summer anticipation fest.